The digital platform created by The Futures Centre uses technological tools and scenario-forecasting to help business leaders move beyond day-to-day priorities and consider the impacts of long term trends like climate change and resource scarcity. The platform allows users to tap into an online bank of futures knowledge and monitor change in fields such as land-use, manufacturing, ecosystem health and social demographics.
James Goodman, Director of Futures at the organization, said: “Futures techniques help us to explore and discuss how change might happen, and to deal with uncertainty.” This knowledge allows us to challenge our partners’ assumptions and come up with new ideas to help break out of unsustainable patterns. The Forum for the Future has a 20-year record of using “futures techniques” to nudge the likes of PepsiCo, HP, Levi’s and Sony toward sustainability while also supporting business needs.
With the dynamic complexity of today’s world it is important to be informed with the latest and best thinking about unfolding realities. The Futures Centre, will track these changes as they unfold, and invite the perspective and observations of others as well. This could mean a business leader learning how to improve his business model in the face of water scarcity, or another person using the platform to connect with others and build a coalition to tackle the problem across an entire sector.
The platform is open to everyone – to enter the conversation about the future we want, improve our collective intelligence, and look together for windows of opportunity – where practical action can shape our collective future.
Source:Lucy Purdy, “ New Digital platform takes long view on sustainability,” Positive News, February 6, 2015 http://positivenews.org.uk/2015/economics_innovation/17097/digital-platform-takes-long-view-sustainability/.
Student Researcher: Suzanne Pinar (San Francisco State University)
Faculty Evaluator: Kenn Burrows (San Francisco State University)